In commercial and residential construction applications, there is a continuing need to enhance efficiency of trades workers performing the construction. Such enhanced efficiency results in faster construction, along with reduced costs for performing the construction, as well as increased productivity. Such enhanced efficiency is desirable across all different trades including, for example, framers, masons, plumbers, electricians, drywallers, painters, and finish and trim carpenters, to name but a few.
With respect to electricians and electrical wiring, in particular, it is commonly required for the trades person or persons to install circuits, associated wiring, and gang boxes to receive electrical fixtures such as electrical outlets or light switches, for example. Drywallers and painters typically perform their associated task, and the electrical trades person is then required to come back and complete the installation of various electrical fixtures, such as switches and outlets, at a later time. More specifically, an electrical trades worker will typically be present at a construction site following, or concurrently with, the framing of the various walls and other structural elements of the building. The electrician will install appropriate electrical conductors between a circuit box or other circuit origination, and various electrical boxes such as boxes that will accommodate lights, electrical outlets, switches, and communications and video cables, to name but a few. Commonly, the electrician will install such conductors and terminate them at an electrical box that is adapted to receive the appropriate electrical component, such as the switch, outlet, or lighting fixture. Following the installation of the various electrical boxes and electrical conductors or cables, testing may be performed to verify appropriate electrical continuity to the different circuits.
At this point, finishing work is typically performed on interiors of buildings including, for example, drywalling, painting, installation of cabinetry, counters, and flooring, and various other finishing type work. The trades persons performing the finishing work typically cut and measure various pieces to be installed over the electrical boxes, and then cut the appropriate holes, as necessary, in the pieces to expose the previously installed electrical boxes. Such materials may include, for example, drywall, fiber board, masonry board, composite sheet material, and the like. In the application of such material, installers frequently use a router with a small cutting tip to expose the openings for the boxes by securing the sheet material in place with a minimal number of securement implements, such as screws, punching the router through the sheeting material in the general vicinity of the box, and then routing around the outer perimeter of the box to define an opening in the sheeting material. Thereafter, the sheet material is completely mounted with additional securement, such as additional screws into studs, and other finishing work is performed.
Following the finishing work, an electrician typically returns to the construction site to install the different fixtures as required for each of the electrical boxes. Following the installation, the different circuits are tested to verify the circuits are operating properly. In the event that such a circuit is not operating properly, the circuit must be repaired which often results in sheet material having to be removed from the walls and the electrical conductors repaired or replaced, with the finishing material then reattached.
As can be seen, such construction involves various steps of different trades workers, often including trades workers returning to a site on multiple different occasions. Such construction methods as a result are often inefficient due to the scheduling and performance of such different tasks by different trades workers. Requiring certain trades workers to return to a construction site on multiple occasions may require significant additional logistical planning. Furthermore, the electrical contractor that is only able to complete a certain percentage of the electrical work in the earlier stages of a project is only able to bill for, and collect payment for, that completed percentage. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have additional electrical work completed at earlier stages of construction projects.